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Sheila Musaji
Posted Apr 8, 2013 •Permalink • Printer-Friendly VersionThe Islamophobes Latest Fantasy Rape Fatwa
Sheila Musaji
Robert Spencer wrote Syria:// Christians flee rebel areas as fatwa authorizes rape of non-Sunni women. He introduces an article from Independent Catholic News with his own comment: "According to the sheikh, capturing and raping Alawi or Christian women is not contrary to the precepts of Islam." Imagine the outcry if a Christian cleric had said that capturing and raping non-Christian women was not contrary to the precepts of Christianity. But no one will take any particular notice of this."
The same story was peddled by Raymond Ibrahim on David Horowitz' Frontpage Magazine. (Spencer's Jihad Watch site is also a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center.) Ibrahim even brings up again the "gang rape fatwa" claim of another such fatwa by Muhammad al-Arifi which has been thoroughly debunked by Ali Abunimah in the article How AlterNet and Salon fell for "gang rape" fatwa peddled by Islamophobes.
Such false stories spread by the Islamophobia rumor mill have become common, and whether or not to respond to them has been a serious discussion within the Muslim community. As Robert Crane said in Gang Rape and Global Ethics: The New Challenge of Phobic Orientalism
... The question is whether the power of the internet to expose Islamophobic disinformation and delegitimize it is greater than the power of the internet to promote falsehood either deliberately or innocently, as in the case of Muslims who spread the now debunked myth of a Saudi shaykh legitimizing gang rape.
The Qur'an states that whoever is guilty of spreading defamatory tales about another person without proof is just as guilty as is the originator. But does this apply to one whose objective is to attack the story in order to bring out truth and support justice?
... The media industry of Islamophobia has been in full swing ever since the collapse of Communism almost a quarter century ago. One question is whether it would it be better to ignore it and instead explain enlightened Islam, or whether the emphasis should be on exposing and thereby spreading the lies of the Islamophobes as a means to stop it?
Perhaps there is no answer to this factual and moral question, but the power of evil going viral in the era of instantaneous communication by individuals to millions of other individuals makes this issue increasingly important in the new era of global ethics and normative jurisprudence, once termed "moral theology" in traditional Christian philosophy and now in Islamic jurisprudence called the maqasid al shari'ah.
Sheikh Musa Furber looked into the "facts" behind this latest story. He writes Latest Episode in the "Gang Rape" Fatwa Frenzy:
Earlier I wrote about the media's (and public's) infatuation with scandalous fatawa, like the "gang rape" fatwa currently making its rounds. This latest fatwa story made its way into English via an article in [Human Events] which attributed the fatwa to "Salafi Sheikh Yasir al-'Ajlawni," currently residing in Jordan and formerly in Damascus. Another piece by the same author links to a March 12 article on tayyar.org as its source. Ten minutes of digging produces an earlier March 11 article in Jordan News, naming the Salafi Sheikh as "Yasin al-'Ajlawni," currently residing in Irbid, Jordan. The article includes comments from a "Yasin Ahmad Yasin al-'Ajlawni" who explains the backstory of his fatwa. He explicitly denounces calling for the rape of Syrian non-Muslim women and states that his fatwa called for protecting Syrian women from the rapes committed by the Syrian army itself.
The latest development comes in an April 7 article in Independent Catholic News concerning Aleppo's Christian community. It includes the following:
Fr David [Fernandez, a missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word] said: "Yesterday, Yasir al-Ajlawni - a Jordanian Salafi sheikh, resident in Damascus, released a fatwa on Youtube, declaring that it is lawful for opponents of the regime of Bashar al-Assad to rape "any Syrian woman not Sunni. According to the sheikh, capturing and raping Alawi or Christian women is not contrary to the precepts of Islam."
There is much wrong with this claim. First, the Jordanian Salafi would be "Yasin al-Ajlawni" not "Yasir al-Ajlawni." Second, he is a resident of Irbid, Jordan, not Damascus, Syria. Third, Yasir al-Ajlawni denied making such a fatwa. Forth, the fatwa he referred to predates April 6 by many weeks.
There is a story here. But the story is not about actual gang rape fatwas but rather the use of hoax fatwas in the propaganda war against the Syrian opposition.
Are there some extremist Muslim scholars, and some who have issued fatwas that require a response from mainstream Muslim scholars. Absolutely! Are mainstream Muslim scholars attempting to counter these extremists with clarifying fatwas and statements? Absolutely!
Continuously coming up with these "fantasy fatwas" as part of an effort to demonize the entire Muslim community does no one any good. I have long wondered why it is that if Muslims and Islam are so terrible, why do Islamophobes find the need to make up so many lies in order to prove that allegation?
The fact that these "news stories" and articles are simply wrong doesn't change the fact that they are "out there" and that they will be read and believed by many of the same folks who believe the supermarket tabloids. They will be forwarded or passed on, and commented on, and the stories will grow and more and more people will accept them as "facts".
When Muslims are charged with something the word Islam or Muslim is attached to whatever crime they are accused of, and the story makes the front page headlines, when they are found not guilty or innocent, that goes somewhere on the back pages in small print.
The comments left on internet sites by the readers of these sorts of articles show the sort of response this sort of propoganda provokes. What I don't understand is who gains by such demonization of an entire faith.
See also:
About that Supposed Egyptian Necrophilia Law & fatwa, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/about-that-egyptian-necrophilia-law
About that "wear a veil or be raped story", Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/about-that-wear-a-veil-or-be-raped-story
Crucifixions in Egypt & Al Azhar Fatwas Encouraging Violence?: More Islamophobic Nonsense, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/crucifixion-story
Cucumber "fatwa" seems to be only shoddy reporting, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cucumber-fatwa
Exhibit A in How an Islamophobic Meme Can Spread Like Wildfire Across the Internet, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini http://www.alternet.org/world/exhibit-how-easily-islamophobic-meme-can-spread-wildfire-across-internet
Fatwas & Statements by Muslim Scholars & Organizations http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim_voices_against_extremism_and_terrorism_part_i_fatwas
Gang Rape and Global Ethics: The New Challenge of Phobic Orientalism, Dr. Robert D. Crane http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/gang-rape-and-global-ethics-the-new-challenge-of-phobic-orientalism
Pamela Geller Wrong About "Sexual Jihad" Fatwa, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/pamela-geller-on-sexual-jihad-fatwa
Geller and Spencer Fantasize About "Muslim Rapists" in Norway, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/geller_and_spencer
Holier than thou: extremism against Islam, Sheikh Musa Furber http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/holier-than-thou-extremism-against-islam
Islamophobes See "Jihad" Everywhere, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad-everywhere
The Media's Infatuation With "Gang Rape" Fatwa, Sheikh Musa Furber http://musafurber.com/blog/blog/2013/04/04/the-medias-infatuation-with-gang-rape-fatwa/
Resources for dealing with Islamophobes, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/there-is-a-reason/0019403
Sharia, Fatwas and Women's Rights, Asghar Ali Engineer http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/sharia_fatwas_and_womens_rights
Syrian rape 'fatwa' hoax exposed, Alexander Baron http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/347521
What everyone "knows" about Islam and Muslims, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what_everyone_knows
What is a fatwa? Who can give one? (supposed Al Azhar fatwa authorizing violence against protestors), Sheikh Musa Furber http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what-is-a-fatwa-who-can-give-one
Yes, MEMRI, there is a Fatwa from Khamenei forbidding Nukes, Juan Cole http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/yes-memri-there-is-a-fatwa-from-khamenei-forbidding-nukes
The Islamophobia Industry exists and is engaged in an anti-Muslim Crusade. They have a manifesto for spreading their propaganda, and which states their goal of "destroying Islam — as a culture, a political ideology, and a religion." They produce anti-Muslim films. They are forming new organizations and coalitions of organizations at a dizzying speed, not only nationally, but also internationally. They have formed an International Leadership Team "which will function as a mobile, proactive, reactive on-the-ground team developing and executing confidential action plans that strike at the heart of the global anti-freedom agenda."
Currently, the Islamophobia Industry is engaged in a full-scale, coordinated, demonization campaign against American Muslims and Arabs. In just the past few months we have seen a series of inflammatory provocations: There was the Innocence of Muslims film Titanic, a German satire magazine plans an "Islam" cover article to be published later this month. Charlie Hebdo, a French satire magazine published an issue with inflammatory cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Newsweek published their 'Muslim Rage' cover. Terry Jones held a "trial of Prophet Muhammad". SION held a "global" gathering in NYC to plan propaganda strategy. A group in Toronto publicized a "walk your dog at the mosque" day. AFDI/SIOA has run a series of anti-Muslim ads on public transportation across the country. AFDI/SIOA are planning to run 8 more anti-Muslim ads. There are three more films on Prophet Muhammad in the works by Ali Sina, Mosab Hassan Yousef and Imran Farasat. They are even bringing their hate messages into public schools.
Daniel Pipes is encouraging publication of "A Muhammad cartoon a day", and says "So, this is my plea to all Western editors and producers: Display the Muhammad cartoon daily, until the Islamists become accustomed to the fact that we turn sacred cows into hamburger.". Pipes joins Daniel Greenfield (aka Sultan Knish) who published an appeal on David Horowitz' Front Page Magazine Is It Time for 'Make Your Own Mohammed Movie Month'?. And, both are following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Pamela Geller, who promoted just such a plan back in 2010 with her promotion of Draw Muhammad Day, even after the cartoonist who drew the first cartoon and suggested the idea, Molly Norris apologized to Muslims and asked for the day to be called off, and American Muslims had issued a defense of free speech. None of this is surprising as one of the Islamophobes laid out their strategy as "The Muslims themselves have shown us their most vulnerable spot, which is the questionable (though unquestioned) character of the 'Prophet' himself. We need to satirise and ridicule baby-bonking Mo until the Muslims fly into uncontrollable tantrums, then ridicule them even more for their tantrums, and repeat the process until they froth at the mouth and steam comes out of their ears."
The Islamophobia of these folks is very real, it is also strikingly similar to a previous generations' anti-Semitism, and it has predictable consequences. The reason that this is so obvious to so many is that rational people can tell the difference between legitimate concerns and bigoted stereotypes.
Sadly, the Islamophobic echo chamber has been aided by some in the Jewish and Christian clergy, and even by some of our elected representatives, particularly in the GOP.
The claim that the Islamophobes are "truth-tellers" and "defenders of freedom" who actually "love Muslims" and have never engaged in "broadbrush demonization" or "advocated violence", or that nothing that they say could have had anything to do with any act of violence, are nonsense. The claim that they are falsely being accused of Islamophobia for no reason other than their legitimate concerns about real issues and that in fact there is not even such a thing as Islamophobia, or their claim that the fact that there are fewer hate crimes against Muslims than against Jews or that some Muslims have fabricated such crimes "proves" that Islamophobia doesn't exist, or that the term Islamophobia was made up by Muslims in order to stifle their freedom of speech, or that anti-Muslim bigotry is "not Islamophobia but Islamorealism" are all nonsense.
These individuals and organizations consistently promote the false what everyone "knows" lies about Islam and Muslims (including distorting the meaning of Qur'anic verses, and distorting the meaning of Islamic terms such as taqiyya, jihad, sharia, etc.).
The most commonly repeated false claims about Muslims and Islam are that:
Everyone "knows" that most or all terrorists are Muslims, and there are no Christian and no Jewish terrorists (or terrorists of any other religious stripe), and that Muslims are all militant, inherently violent, more likely to engage in violence against civilians, and more likely than other Americans to be radicalized.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims are not interested in dialogue. That Muslims don't help Christians in need. That Muslims can't have Christians as friends, and are anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers, and intolerant of other faiths.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims don't unequivocally denounce terrorism, that American Muslim leaders have not responded to radicalization in their community, that mosques are the source of radicalization, that 85% of mosques are run by radicals, that Muslims don't cooperate with law enforcement.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims are not equivalent to real Americans, that they are the enemy within, and a fifth column, that good Muslims can't be good Americans, that Muslims are not loyal to America, that they are not a part of our American heritage,
Everyone "knows" that Islam itself is the problem and makes Muslims "backward", that Muslims have made no contribution to the West, that Islam is "of the devil", a Crescent menace, a "green peril", that was spread by the sword, an "evil encroaching on the United States", and not a religion.
Everyone "knows" that this is a Christian nation, which the Muslims are trying to take over, starting with getting an Eid stamp which is the first step towards shariah law which is a threat to America, and a threat to our judicial system, by purposefully having more children than others to increase their numbers, and they will be the majority in this country in 20 years. Muslims are a threat to America
Everyone "knows" that Muslims have no respect for the Constitution, they don't obey the laws of the United States, that they are opposed to freedom of speech, don't allow and freedom of religion.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims are given a pass by the elite media. It's "us versus them".
Everyone "knows" that the Muslims' goal is world domination under a Caliphate, and the proposed Cordoba House in NYC is a demonstration of supremacism and triumphalism, and that Muslims planned to open it on the anniversary of 9/11.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims don't speak out against extremism or terrorism, and even those Muslims who do speak up or seem moderate are simply lying or practicing taqiyyah.
Everyone "knows" that the Qur'an is uniquely violent, that the Islamic concept of God doesn't include God's love, and does not include the concept of a Golden Rule, that Allah is a moon god.
Everyone "knows" that Islam is a monolith and all Muslims are the same, like the "Borg". This means that every act committed by an individual who is a Muslim is directly attributable to Islam, and never because the individual is crazy, criminal, or perverted.
Everyone "knows" that Muslims don't have a sense of humor
Everyone "knows" that Muslims are like the Fascists and Nazis and that in fact they supported those movements.The problem is that what "everyone knows" is wrong. These self-righteous and incorrect statements are usually followed by a demand that the Muslim community do something about whatever is the false flag of the day or face the inevitable consequences.
Islamophobes falsely claim to see "JIHAD" PLOTS everywhere, particularly where they don't exist. They, like Muslim extremists, don't understand the true meaning of the term jihad. The Islamophobes have uncovered countless examples of "shocking", non-existent Muslim jihad plots.
Islamophobes generalize specific incidents to reflect on all Muslims or all of Islam. Islamophobes consistently push demonstrably false memes such as: - we are in danger from creeping Sharia, - the Muslim population is increasing at an alarming rate, - 80% of American Mosques are radicalized, - There have been 270 million victims of "jihad" - There have been 17,000+ "Islamic terrorist" attacks since 9/11 - Muslims in government are accused of being Muslim Brotherhood plants, stealth jihadists, and creeping Sharia proponents and should be MARGINALIZED or excluded. Muslim and Arab organizations and individuals are connected to the infamous Muslim Brotherhood document or the unindicted co-conspirator label, or accused of not condemning Hamas, telling American Muslims not to talk to the FBI, of being "Jew haters", etc.
When Islamophobes are caught in the act of making up or distorting claims they engage in devious methods to attempt to conceal the evidence.
There is a reason that many, even outside of the Muslim community see such demonization of Muslims as Islamophobic. There is a reason that the ADL has stated that Brigitte Gabriel's Act for America, Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer's Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), David Yerushalmi's Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE) are "groups that promote an extreme anti-Muslim agenda". There is a reason that The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated SIOA as a hate group, and that these individuals are featured in the SPLC reports Jihad Against Islam and The Anti-Muslim Inner Circle. There is a reason that these individuals and organizations are featured prominently in: — the Center for American Progress reports "Fear Inc." on the Islamophobia network in America and Understanding Sharia Law: Conservatives skewed interpretation needs debunking. — the People for the American Way Right Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism. — the NYCLU report Religious Freedom Under Attack: The Rise of Anti-Mosque Activities in New York State. — the Political Research Associates report Manufacturing the Muslim menace: Private firms, public servants, and the threat to rights and security. — The ACLU report Nothing to Fear: Debunking the Mythical "Sharia Threat" to Our Judicial System — in The American Muslim TAM Who's Who of the Anti-Muslim/Anti-Arab/Islamophobia Industry. There is a reason that the SIOA's trademark patent was denied by the U.S. government due to its anti-Muslim nature. There is a reason that these individuals and organizations are featured in just about every legitimate report on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.
See Resources for dealing with Islamophobes for many more reasons that these people cannot be trusted.
Sheila Musaji is the founding editor of The American Muslim (TAM), published since 1989. Sheila received the Council on American-Islamic Relations 2007 Islamic Community Service Award for Journalism, and the Loonwatch Anti-Loons of 2011: Profiles in Courage Award for her work in fighting Islamophobia. Sheila was selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Muslim 500: The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims published since 2009 by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan. Biography You can follow her on twitter @sheilamusaji ( https://twitter.com/SheilaMusaji )
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President John Taylor
After President Brigham Young died, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided over by John Taylor, led the Latter-day Saints for three years. On 10 October 1880, John Taylor was sustained as President of the Church. President Taylor was a gifted writer and journalist who published a book on the Atonement and edited some of the Church's most important periodicals, including the Times and Seasons and the Mormon. On many occasions he displayed his courage and his deep devotion to the restored gospel, including voluntarily joining his brethren in Carthage Jail, where he was shot four times. His personal motto, "The kingdom of God or nothing," signified his loyalty to God and the Church.
Missionary Work
President Taylor was committed to doing all he could to see that the gospel was proclaimed to the ends of the earth. In the October 1879 general conference, he called Moses Thatcher, the Church's newest Apostle, to begin proselyting in Mexico City, Mexico. Elder Thatcher and two other missionaries organized the first branch of the Church in Mexico City on 13 November 1879, with Dr. Plotino C. Rhodacanaty as the branch president. Dr. Rhodacanaty had been converted after reading a Spanish Book of Mormon pamphlet and writing to President Taylor for additional information about the Church.
With a nucleus of twelve members and three missionaries, the restored gospel began to spread slowly among the Mexican people. On 6 April 1881, Elder Thatcher, Feramorz Young, and a Brother Páez hiked to a height of 15,500 feet on Mount Popacatepetl and held a brief dedication service. Kneeling before the Lord, Elder Thatcher dedicated the land of Mexico and its people that they might hear the voice of the Lord, their true shepherd.
Elder Thatcher returned to Salt Lake City and recommended that additional missionaries be called to serve in Mexico. Soon several young men, including Anthony W. Ivins, a future member of the First Presidency, were laboring in Mexico City. As part of the Church's effort in the Mexican Mission, a Spanish language edition of the Book of Mormon was published in 1886. The story of Milton Trejo, who helped to translate the Book of Mormon and other Church literature into Spanish, demonstrates how the Lord directs his work.
Milton Trejo was born in Spain and grew up without settling on any religion. He was serving in the military in the Philippines when he heard a remark about the Mormons in the Rocky Mountains and felt a strong desire to visit them. Later he became very ill and was told in a dream that he must visit Utah. When he recovered, he journeyed to Salt Lake City. He met Brigham Young and investigated the gospel. He became convinced that he had found the truth and became a member of the Church. He served a mission in Mexico and was then prepared, spiritually and intellectually, to play a major role in seeing that Spanish-speaking people could read the Book of Mormon in their own language.
President Taylor also called missionaries to carry the gospel to the Indians living in the American West. Amos Wright's labors were particularly fruitful among the Shoshone tribe residing on Wyoming's Wind River Reservation. After having served for only a few months, Wright had baptized more than 300 Indians, including Chief Washakie. Latter-day Saint missionaries also carried the gospel to the Navajos, the Pueblos, and the Zunis living in Arizona and New Mexico. Wilford Woodruff spent a year proselyting among the Indians, including the Hopis, Apaches, and Zunis. Ammon M. Tenney assisted in baptizing more than 100 Zuni Indians.
Missionaries also continued to teach the gospel in England and Europe. In 1883, German-born Thomas Biesinger, who was living in Lehi, Utah, received a call to serve in the European mission. He and Paul Hammer were sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The missionaries were forbidden by law to proselyte and so initiated casual conversations with people they met. These conversations often turned to the subject of religion. After working in this way for only a month, Elder Biesinger was arrested and held in prison for two months. When he gained his freedom, he had the blessing of baptizing Antonín Just, whose accusation had led to his arrest. Brother Just became the first Latter-day Saint residing in Czechoslovakia.1
The gospel was also preached in Polynesia. Two Hawaiians, Elders Kimo Pelio and Samuela Manoa, were sent to Samoa in 1862. They baptized about 50 people, and Elder Manoa continued to live in Samoa with his converts for the next 25 years. In 1887 Joseph H. Dean of Salt Lake City, Utah, received a call to serve a mission in Samoa. Elder Manoa and his faithful wife opened their home to Elder Dean and his wife, Florence, the first Latter-day Saints from outside Samoa they had seen in more than two decades. Elder Dean soon baptized 14 people into the Church and about a month later delivered his first sermon in the Samoan language.2 Thus missionary work began anew on the island.
Beginning in 1866, to prevent the spread of leprosy, Hawaiian officials took people suffering from the disease to the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the island of Molokai. In 1873 Jonathan and Kitty Napela, who were Latter-day Saints, were banished there. Only Kitty had the disease, but Jonathan, who had been sealed to her in the Salt Lake Endowment House, would not leave her there alone. Jonathan later contracted the disease, and when he was visited nine years later by a good friend, was hardly recognizable. For some time he presided over the Saints on the peninsula, who by the year 1900 numbered more than 200. Church leaders did not forget the faithful members who suffered from this debilitating disease and frequently visited the branch to care for their spiritual needs.3
The Jubilee Conference
On 6 April 1880, Church members celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the Church. They called it a Jubilee Year, as the ancient Israelites had named every fiftieth year. President Taylor forgave many of the debts owed to the Church by its needy members. The Church also contributed 300 cows and 2,000 sheep to be distributed among its "deserving poor."4 The Church's Relief Society sisters donated almost 35,000 bushels of wheat to those in need. President Taylor also urged Church members to forgive individual debt, especially among the distressed. "It is the time of Jubilee!" he declared.5 A spirit of forgiveness and joy was strongly felt among the Latter-day Saints.
The last day of the April 1880 Jubilee general conference was very moving. Eleven of the Twelve Apostles bore their testimonies in the concluding session. Orson Pratt, one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke about the time when the entire Church had met in the Peter Whitmer Sr. home in Fayette, New York. He recalled the trials, the gatherings, the persecutions, and the afflictions of the Latter-day Saints and felt thankful that he was still "numbered with this people." Then he bore testimony "concerning the great work which the Lord our God has been doing during the last fifty years."6 Elder Pratt had only a few months left to live and felt joyful that he had endured to the end as a faithful Latter-day Saint.
Two years before the Jubilee celebration, President John Taylor had authorized the establishment of an organization to provide religious instruction to children. The first Primary was begun in Farmington, Utah, about 15 miles north of Salt Lake City, and by the mid-1880s, a Primary had been organized in almost all Latter-day Saint settlements. The Primary has grown to include millions of children throughout the world, who are blessed by the gospel instruction, music, and associations they enjoy each week.
Persecution Continues
While working on the translation of the Bible in the early 1830s, the Prophet Joseph Smith became troubled by the fact that Abraham, Jacob, David, and other Old Testament leaders had more than one wife. The Prophet prayed for understanding and learned that at certain times, for specific purposes, following divinely given laws, plural marriage was approved and directed by God. Joseph Smith also learned that with divine approval, some Latter-day Saints would soon be chosen by priesthood authority to marry more than one wife. A number of Latter-day Saints practiced plural marriage in Nauvoo, but a public announcement of this doctrine and practice was not made until the August 1852 general conference in Salt Lake City. At that conference, Elder Orson Pratt, as directed by President Brigham Young, announced that the practice of a man having more than one wife was part of the Lord's restitution of all things (see Acts 3:19–21).
Many of America's religious and political leaders became very angry when they learned that Latter-day Saints living in Utah were encouraging a marriage system that they considered immoral and unchristian. A great political crusade was launched against the Church and its members. The United States Congress passed legislation that curbed the freedom of the Latter-day Saints and hurt the Church economically. This legislation ultimately caused officers to arrest and imprison men who had more than one wife and to deny them the right to vote, the right to privacy in their homes, and the enjoyment of other civil liberties. Hundreds of faithful Latter-day Saint men and a few women served time in prisons located in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nebraska, Michigan, and South Dakota.
Persecution also became intense for many who accepted callings to preach the gospel, especially in the southern United States. For example, in July 1878 Elder Joseph Standing was brutally murdered while laboring near Rome, Georgia. His companion, the future Apostle Rudger Clawson, only narrowly escaped death. The Saints in Salt Lake City were very affected by the news of Elder Standing's murder, and thousands of people attended his funeral in the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
Elders John Gibbs, William Berry, William Jones, and Henry Thompson traveled throughout much of Tennessee attempting to change the public's perception of the Church. They rested one Sabbath morning in August 1884 at the James Condor home near Cane Creek in Tennessee. As Elder Gibbs studied the scriptures looking for a text for his sermon, a mob burst through the forest and began shooting. Elders Gibbs and Berry were killed. Elder Gibbs, a schoolteacher, left a wife and three children mourning his death. Sister Gibbs remained a widow for 43 years and became a midwife to support her children. She died faithful in the gospel, anticipating a joyful reunion with her husband. Brigham Henry Roberts, the acting mission president at the time of the murders, risked his life by going in disguise to exhume the bodies of Gibbs and Berry. He returned the bodies to Utah, where many wards held memorial services in honor of the two elders.
Missionaries in other areas were beaten until blood ran down their backs, and many carried the scars of these whippings to their graves. It was not an easy time to be a member of the Church.
Many Church leaders went into hiding to avoid arrest by federal officers searching for men with more than one wife. Families feared late-night intrusions by these officers. President George Q. Cannon, Lorenzo Snow, Rudger Clawson, Brigham Henry Roberts, George Reynolds, and many others were sent to prison, where they passed the time by writing books, teaching school, and composing letters to their families. President John Taylor was forced to live in exile in Kaysville, Utah, about 20 miles north of Salt Lake City, where he died on 25 July 1887. He was a man of faith and courage who devoted his life to his testimony of Jesus Christ and to the establishment of God's kingdom on the earth.
President Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff was one of the Church's most successful missionaries and was also known for his prophetic insights and loyalty to the Church. He kept meticulous journals, which provide much information about the early history of the Church. He was serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when John Taylor died, and almost two years later he was sustained as the President of the Church.
During his administration, the political crusade against the Latter-day Saints intensified, but the Church moved forward. Temples were operating in three Utah towns—St. George, Logan, and Manti—and the Salt Lake Temple was nearing completion. These houses of the Lord enabled thousands of Saints to obtain their endowments and do ordinance work for their kindred dead. President Woodruff had a lifelong interest in temple and family history work. He admonished the Saints on many occasions to perform ordinances in the temple for their ancestors.
The following incident emphasizes the importance of the work the Saints were performing for the dead. In May 1884, Bishop Henry Ballard of the Logan Second Ward was signing temple recommends at his home. Henry's nine-year-old daughter, who was talking with friends on the sidewalk near her home, saw two elderly men approaching. They called to her, handed her a newspaper, and told her to take it to her father.
The girl did as she was asked. Bishop Ballard saw that the paper, the Newbury Weekly News, published in England, contained the names of more than 60 of his and his father's acquaintances, along with genealogical information. This newspaper, dated 15 May 1884, had been given to him only three days after it was printed. In a time long before air transportation, when mail took several weeks to get from England to western America, this was a miracle.
The next day, Bishop Ballard took the newspaper to the temple and told the story of its arrival to Marriner W. Merrill, the temple president. President Merrill declared, "Brother Ballard, someone on the other side is anxious for their work to be done and they knew that you would do it if this paper got into your hands."7 This newspaper is preserved in the Church Historical Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In spite of persecution, Church leaders still encouraged the colonization of unsettled areas in America's west. Beginning in 1885, many Latter-day Saint families settled in Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico, establishing such towns as Colonia Juárez and Colonia Díaz. Other areas in northern Mexico also received immigrant Church members.
Church members also looked north to Canada for a place to colonize. Charles O. Card, who served as president of the Cache Valley Stake, founded a Latter-day Saint community in southern Alberta in 1886. By the winter of 1888, more than 100 Latter-day Saints lived in western Canada, and more came during the 1890s, providing the labor to construct an irrigation system and a railroad. Many Church leaders matured in Alberta.
The Manifesto
As the 1880s drew to a close, the United States government passed additional laws that deprived those who practiced plural marriage of the right to vote and serve on juries and severely restricted the amount of property the Church could own. Latter-day Saint families suffered as even more fathers went into hiding. President Woodruff pleaded with the Lord for guidance. On the evening of 23 September 1890, the prophet, acting under inspiration, wrote the Manifesto, a document that ended plural marriage for Church members. The Lord showed President Woodruff in vision that unless the practice of plural marriage was ended, the United States government would take over the temples, thus ending work for the living and the dead.
On 24 September 1890, the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve Apostles sustained the Manifesto. The Saints approved it in the October 1890 general conference. Today this document is included in the Doctrine and Covenants as Official Declaration 1.
Following the Church's action, federal officials issued pardons to Latter-day Saint men convicted of violating the antipolygamy laws and much of the persecution stopped. But, as President Woodruff explained: "I should have let all the temples go out of our hands; I should have gone to prison myself, and let every other man go there, had not the God of heaven commanded me to do what I did do; and when the hour came that I was commanded to do that, it was all clear to me. I went before the Lord, and I wrote what the Lord told me to write" ("Excerpts from Three Addresses by President Wilford Woodruff Regarding the Manifesto," included after Official Declaration—1). God, not the United States Congress, brought about the official discontinuance of plural marriage.
The Genealogical Society
Long before the Latter-day Saints founded a genealogical society, Church members gathered records documenting the lives of their dead ancestors. Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, and Heber J. Grant are among those who obtained the names of thousands of ancestors for whom they performed temple ordinances. In 1894, the First Presidency directed that a genealogical society be organized with Elder Franklin D. Richards as its first leader. A library was established, and representatives of the society went throughout the world in search of names of people for whom temple ordinances could be performed. This society led to the creation of the Family History Department of the Church.
During the April 1894 general conference, President Woodruff announced that he had received a revelation about genealogical work. He declared that God wanted the Latter-day Saints "to trace their genealogies as far as they can, and to be sealed to their fathers and mothers. Have the children sealed to their parents and run this chain through as far as you can get it. … This is the will of the Lord to his people," he said, "and I think when you come to reflect upon it you will find it to be true."8 Latter-day Saints are still encouraged to seek out the records of their deceased ancestors and perform temple ordinances in their behalf.
From 1885 to 1900, many Church members served genealogical missions. They were invited to Salt Lake City to receive a blessing for their mission from a General Authority. They were also provided with a missionary card and a letter of appointment. They visited relatives, recorded names from gravestones, and studied parish records and family Bibles, returning to their homes with valuable information that allowed temple work to be performed. Many missionaries reported spiritual experiences that gave them the firm assurance that the Lord was with them and often directed them to a needed source or relative.9
Dedication of the Salt Lake Temple
President Wilford Woodruff devoted much of his life to temple work. He was the first president of the St. George Temple, and he dedicated the Manti Temple. Now, 40 years after the cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple was laid, President Woodruff awaited with great anticipation the dedication of this landmark temple. Dedicatory services were held from 6 April to 18 May 1893, and approximately 75,000 people attended.10
Following the initial dedicatory service on 6 April, President Woodruff wrote in his journal: "The spirit and power of God rested upon us. The spirit of prophecy and revelation was upon us and the hearts of the people were melted and many things were unfolded to us."11 Some Latter-day Saints saw angels, while others saw past Presidents of the Church and other deceased Church leaders.12
When President Woodruff celebrated his ninetieth birthday, thousands of Sunday School children filled the Tabernacle on Temple Square to honor him. He was deeply moved and, speaking with great emotion, told his young audience that when he was ten years of age he attended a Protestant Sunday School and read about apostles and prophets. When he returned home, he prayed that he might live long enough to see apostles and prophets once more on the earth. Now he stood in the presence of men who were both apostles and prophets; his prayer had been answered many times over.13
A year later on 2 September 1898, President Woodruff died while visiting in San Francisco.
President Lorenzo Snow and Tithing
After the death of President Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, became President of the Church. He was a wise and loving leader who had been prepared well for his responsibilities. He had known and been taught by every latter-day prophet up to that time. In November 1900, he told the Saints assembled in the Tabernacle that he had often visited the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family, dined at his table, and had private interviews with him. He knew Joseph was a prophet of God because the Lord had shown him this truth "most clearly and completely."14
During President Snow's administration, the Church faced serious financial difficulties that had been brought about by the federal government's legislation against plural marriage. President Snow pondered and prayed for guidance about how to free the Church from its debilitating debt. Following the April 1899 general conference, he felt inspired to visit St. George, Utah. While speaking at a meeting there he paused for some time, and when he continued, he declared that he had received a revelation. The people of the Church had neglected the law of tithing, and the Lord had told him that if Church members more faithfully paid a full tithing, blessings would be showered upon them.
The prophet preached the importance of tithing to congregations throughout Utah. The Saints obeyed his counsel, and that year they paid twice as much tithing as the previous year. By 1907, the Church possessed sufficient funds to pay all its creditors and become debt-free.
In 1898, at a reception for the general board of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association, President George Q. Cannon announced that the First Presidency had made a decision to call "some of our wise and prudent women into the missionary field."15 Before this time, a few sisters had accompanied their husbands on missions, but this was the first time that the Church had officially called and set apart sisters as missionary ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. While sisters do not have the duty to serve missions, in the past decades thousands have exercised this privilege and served the Lord valiantly as full-time missionaries.
President Lorenzo Snow led the Church into the twentieth century. When the new century dawned, the Church had 43 stakes, 20 missions, and 967 wards and branches. There were 283,765 members, most of whom resided in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. Four temples were in operation, and the Juvenile Instructor, Improvement Era, and Young Women's Journal carried articles about the Church to its members. Rumors circulated that at least one new mission might be opened, and Latter-day Saints could scarcely imagine what the next hundred years would bring. Yet they were confident that prophecies concerning the destiny of the Church would be fulfilled.

subset: commoncrawl


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I sat down with director Richard Linklater and actors Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke to talk about their new movie, Before Midnight, which follows their two characters from Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004). The three also co-wrote Midnight and Sunset. For a very thoughtful, touching essay on the film that ran in the magazine (and is accessible to subscribers), click here.
TIME: In the first film, Before Sunrise, there's a moment when they first kiss…
JULIE DELPY: Tongue, tonsil, tongue, tonsil…
RICHARD LINKLATER: That was my direction: tongue, tonsil, tongue, tonsil
ETHAN HAWKE: It was one of my worst experiences on a film set. It's sunset on that beautiful Ferris wheel and we're supposed to be having this beatific experience. We do this kiss scene, and as soon as Rick goes "Cut," Julie's like, "Ewww! He kisses like an adolescent!"
That's a line in the movie.
HAWKE: We work everything in, buddy.
That's a particularly painful thing to work in.
HAWKE: It's not interesting if it's not painful.
LINKLATER: Ethan is brave that way.
At the beginning of Before Midnight, I made an audible gasp when we find out that Jesse and Celine are still together. After I saw the movie, I was like, "Of course they are; how would they make a movie otherwise?" But was there a discussion about it?
HAWKE: I think the gasp is—it's two films of wanting these people to be together and they're not together. It's weird that Before Sunset is this incredibly romantic film—people cite it as a romantic film—and we never kiss. Who makes a romance where the two characters never even kiss?
LINKLATER: As soon as Before Sunset fades out, the audience gets to fill in. They can go to town with what happens next. That was a good place for us to stop.
HAWKE: A good place for the third one to begin was with the ramifications. When you follow your passion, there are consequences. And the consequences are Hank, Jesse's son—he's the one who suffers from Jesse following his heart.
But you could have made the other choice: Jesse could have gone back to his life with his wife and son. Were you all on the same page?
DELPY: We felt like we couldn't make a third one where they meet again by accident and flirt again. Either they went for it in their 30s, or they didn't and there's no film.
HAWKE: If we had had an essential disagreement like you're talking about, the movie probably wouldn't have happened. Like we would meet sometimes and somebody would say, "I see Jesse as a war correspondent in Afghanistan." And the others were like, "That movie isn't going to get written because you lost your two writing partners."
So sometimes one of you would have an idea the other two would shoot down?
HAWKE: Some of my best shit was nixed by these morons.
LINKLATER: The first film, we spent a lot of time being polite and trying not to hurt people's feelings. At this point we have such a shorthand.
DELPY: We don't get offended.
HAWKE: All three of us have other outlets. So if Julie comes with this awesome scene she wrote, and Rick and I are, like, we don't like it—
DELPY: —I use it in something else. There's a line that didn't make it into [my film] 2 Days in New York that made it into this one, about being inspired and not being able to express yourself because you're too busy taking care of your kids.
HAWKE: There's a moment in Before Midnight where Jesse clocks another girls' ass as she walks by. And when we broke for lunch, this Steadicam operator was upset. He said, "I don't think Jesse would do that. I just believe in their love more." I said, "Look, you're in some romantic box. Part of the idea of making this movie is to make something that's truly romantic, which means being human. And if Jesse doesn't find that girl's ass attractive, he has other problems."
DELPY: But not everybody's a pig like you.
HAWKE: My wife was glad we included that, because it's not some idealized version of a man.
LINKLATER: Your wife is like, "If you can hit that, go ahead."
Where else did you think these characters might be now?
LINKLATER: Early on, we had this idea of making the movie just a Wednesday in their lives.
HAWKE: We see them shopping, picking up the kids from school.
DELPY: Then at night they meet.
LINKLATER: Then we thought, "That's kind of grueling."
HAWKE: The first two films are so much fun; we didn't want to lose that escape feeling. We didn't want it to be a movie about how being 40 sucks.
Did you see Judd Apatow's This is 40?
LINKLATER: Yeah. It's good. It's very soulful. It's rare in Hollywood that anyone even gets that opportunity, that someone uses his clout to say something.
You do, too.
LINKLATER: I should hope for our budget that I can do whatever the hell I want.
Plus Apatow needed jokes.
LINKLATER: But they're both comedies in a way.
DELPY: It's pretty funny, the fight in our film.
What's the funny part of the fight?
HAWKE: People laugh a lot. It's nervous laughter.
DELPY: "How dare he say that?"
HAWKE: It's funny the way Scenes from a Marriage is funny. Scenes from a Marriage is hysterical but it's devastating.
So Before Midnight isn't just a day in the life?
HAWKE: There are days of our lives that are more substantive than other days.
LINKLATER: It's often by physical circumstances. The emotions of dropping off Hank. The end of a vacation. Summer is over—there a certain tone to that. Your friends have imposed a little vacation on you. It's like an Obama date night. "You're going to have a great time!"
HAWKE: I wanted the fight not to have a clear bad guy. Wouldn't it be interesting to see a movie with two well-meaning people who love each other and they still fight? Okay, he cheated: he's bad. She cheated: she's bad. He's an alcoholic: he's bad. Life just never feels that way when you're in it.
DELPY: This idea that the man cheats and the woman isn't cheating is totally bullshit.
LINKLATER: Our audience might appreciate the honesty. Jesse and Celine are in the statistical norms — 72 percent of women have had some kind of dalliance in their marriage and 70 percent of men. You would think it would be more men, but women are just so smooth about it, you find out ten years later. With men, you find out the next morning, because we're so clumsy. During the Clinton administration they said that very few marriages in our culture could survive a Whitewater investigation. If you could sink $6 million into detective work for every relationship, you're going to dig up a blowjob somewhere.
What about when he says, "You're fucking nuts." How hurtful is that?
DELPY: What would be hurtful is "You're fucking boring, I have nothing to say to you." But you're crazy? Seriously, would you mind being called crazy? It's kind of exciting.
HAWKE: Jesse is on the ball enough to know that he's in love with a dynamic, powerful woman and he's willing to take the good with the bad.
There are points in marriages where the things you once found charming and cute inevitably become annoying.
HAWKE: What Celine found so charming about Jesse's little theories—now she's rolling her eyes when he talks about his books. I have a really good friend who is one of the funniest people in the world and wife just sits there while the whole table is roaring.
LINKLATER: The fact that they eat together, they talk to one another, they make each other laugh, they still seem to want to sleep together—that's about as good as you're going to do at a certain point.
Do you like your characters? Would you want to hang out with them?
LINKLATER: Certainly. They're a fun couple to have at dinner.
DELPY: I don't know if I'd like her.
HAWKE: That's not true.
LINKLATER: Of course you would like her.
HAWKE: You'd find her very attractive.
LINKLATER: You'd want to have sex with her.
DELPY: I'd make out with her?
HAWKE: This is how ideas get developed. Just sitting around bullshitting, and somebody makes a joke and we say, "Actually, that's a good idea."
DELPY: It's fun to recreate those nine years. That's the work we do.
HAWKE: That love scene we have is way more intimate than anything I'd be able to achieve with somebody else. You can't fake the fact that you've actually known someone for 18 years.
DELPY: I can fake it.


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Picture having your partner bound to the bed. You insert a ball gag into their mouth making it harder for them to speak — all they can offer you is moans and pants. The Breathable Ball Gag with Leather Strap offers a premium ball gag, but uses holes to allow for easier breathing during use. For some, having those holes means a prolonged and enjoyable bondage experience.
The gag is easily tied around the head using a leather buckle system.


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As the Portuguese is reunited with Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder on Wednesday, we imagine a dream team made up of his brightest stars at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid
By Ben Hayward
He has worked with the very best. Jose Mourinho has coached some of Europe's finest in the last decade, starting with his great Porto side which stunned the rest of the continent by winning the Champions League in 2004. He then guided Chelsea agonisingly close to their holy grail and dominated domestically, led an all-conquering Inter outfit which made history, and now a Madrid XI aiming to reach a third straight semi-final in the game's premier club competition.
In order to advance to the last four, Mourinho's men must beat Galatasary, but standing in their way are two of the coach's finest former charges – Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. So as the pair set out to upset the man who was their mentor at Chelsea and Inter, respectively, Goal.com picks a possible dream team from the Portuguese's players at Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Madrid.
It is impossible to pick such a side without leaving out a wealth of top talents, players considered to be among the world's finest. Yet the idea was not to select the 11 best players per se, but the greatest line-up of footballers in their time spent under Mourinho's guidance. And after much deliberation, it was decided that this team would play in a 4-3-3 formation, the system favoured by the Portuguese at both Porto and Chelsea, and not his current 4-2-3-1. So here goes…
Four men fight it out for the starting spot in goal. Vitor Baia was an experienced head and a natural leader at Porto, while Petr Cech proved a revelation at Chelsea and Julio Cesar stepped up at Inter as Mourinho won it all with the Milanese outfit. But the best of the bunch is Iker Casillas. Currently sidelined and with his route to the Madrid first team potentially blocked by the fine form of emergency signing Diego Lopez, Casillas remains the best goalkeeper in the world and, therefore, he is an obvious choice in this side.
Two's company three's a treble | Happy times for Mourinho & Sneijder at Inter
There are tough decisions to make throughout the rest of the team. Candidates for the right-back role include Maicon, who was at his brilliant best under Mourinho with his breathtaking attacking play in the treble-winning campaign of 2009-10, his former Inter team-mate and club legend Javier Zanetti and Madrid's Sergio Ramos. Here, Zanetti gets the nod due to his brilliant performances up against Lionel Messi in Inter's 2010 Champions League semi-final with Barcelona (albeit on the left), and his overall consistency on both flanks during the Portuguese's two successful seasons in Italy. Paulo Ferreira and Alvaro Arbeloa would probably not even make the squad.
In central defence, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho edge out a number of other brilliant defenders, including Ramos, Pepe, Lucio, Walter Samuel and Marco Materazzi. Carvalho was a rock for Mourinho at Porto and later formed an excellent partnership with Terry at Stamford Bridge. His first season at Madrid was also solid, although he is now in his twilight years and can no longer compete for a first-team place at the Santiago Bernabeu. Meanwhile, if Raphael Varane continues his current progession, the young Frenchman is likely to become better than any of the above, while Ramos can consider himself unlucky to miss out following his fine form since switching to the centre in 2011-12.
With Zanetti on the right, Ashley Cole starts at left-back in this team. The England full-back upset Arsenal by meeting Chelsea officials publicly and then moving controversially across the capital, but went on to become perhaps the best left-sided defender in the world under Mourinho. He simply has to be in this team. Marcelo is another alternative, but Mourinho does not always appear to trust the Brazilian defensively. Fabio Coentrao and Christian Chivu make up the numbers.
Claude Makelele is the logical choice as the defensive midfielder. The former France international was so effective in his position ahead of the defence at Chelsea that the position was named after him. Although not gifted technically, his tireless work-rate, ball-winning abilities and simple distribution to those around him make him a must in this side. In a dream Mourinho XI, the 'Makelele role' could only be filled by the man himself. So Sami Khedira, Thiago Motta and Costinha, the excellent defensive midfielders at Madrid, Inter and Porto, respectively, all miss out.
Brothers in arms | Mourinho and Drogba at Chelsea
With Makelele dropping deep, Frank Lampard would provide the goals in midfield. At Chelsea, Mourinho described the England midfielder as "the best in the world" and considered bringing him to Madrid early on in his tenure. Xabi Alonso is unfortunate to miss out here, while Inter's Esteban Cambiasso and Porto's Maniche were other solid candidates, but Lampard's greater goal rate – an aspect of his game he improved dramatically under Mourinho, hitting 15, 19 and 20 in his three full seasons with the Portuguese after managing just eight the year before – wins him a starting spot.
In the playmaker position, the options are sublime. Wesley Sneijder was so important for Inter in 2009-10, and terribly unlucky to miss out on the 2010 Ballon d'Or after also leading Netherlands to the World Cup final in South Africa. The Dutchman has since faded and struggled with injury, but under Mourinho for those two terms at Inter, he was the world's best in his position. Deco employed a similar role at Porto and just misses out, along with Mesut Ozil and Kaka, whose best years came before his association with Madrid and his current coach.
And then there are the forwards. Cristiano Ronaldo is included of course, having taken his game and his goalscoring to new levels under his compatriot. And the Portuguese is joined in attack by two more central strikers, Diego Milito and Didier Drogba. The Ivorian is the archetypal Mourinho centre-forward and a player who became synonymous with the Portuguese's Chelsea side. Milito played an astonishing role in Inter's treble of 2009-10, scoring both goals in the Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, as well as netting crucial strikes in the knockout rounds, hitting the winner in the Coppa Italia and the goal which clinched Serie A as well. On the back of all of that, Milito must be in this side. Arjen Robben and Joe Cole both miss out despite good form at Chelsea, along with the not-always-convincing Madrid trio Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria, the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Mourinho's first year at Inter, Samuel Eto'o (used in a more sacrificial role by the Portuguese in Italy, on the left flank in his second season) and Luis Figo (whose association with the coach came right at the end of a wonderful playing career).
What do you think or our XI (below)? Too many Blues? Not enough Madrid players? Should Porto have more representatives? Who should be in it? Have you say in the comments section below…
Follow Ben Hayward on


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On Sunday March 17th an incident occurred involving some inappropriate comments made during a crowded plenary session. Per the stated guidelines for attendees and staff the issue was reported to the PyCon 2013 staff and resolved privately.
Both parties were met with, in private. The comments that were made were in poor taste, and individuals involved agreed, apologized and no further actions were taken by the staff of PyCon 2013. No individuals were removed from the conference, no sanctions were levied.
PyCon values the privacy of all attendees above everything. Except in cases wherein law enforcement must or could be involved, all reports and actions taken are kept confidential by PyCon staff.
If anyone has additional questions or concerns about this event or these sanctions, please contact Jesse Noller at <email@example.com>.


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TWELFTH NIGHT, (or what you will)
a comedy by William Shakespeare
November 7 – 9, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Student Matinee November 08 at 11:30 AM
DIRECTED BY Gyllian Raby
Co-Director and Vocal Coach: Danielle Wilson
Assistant Director and Dramaturge: Keavy Lynch
If music be the food of love, play on!
"Twelfth Night, (or what you will)" presented on stage at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
The Department of Dramatic Arts' rendition of Twelfth Night gives this classic Shakespearean comedy a 20th century twist, setting it in the 1950s and taking audiences to the era of soul-searching country blues. This production runs November 7, 8 and 9, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., and November 8 at 11:30 a.m., held at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre, Brock University.
The magical fictitious kingdom of Illyria is a modern world where boys are boys and girls are girls and subterranean passions blow apart rigid conventions. Fools, lovers, and shipwrecked souls grapple adverse fortunes and comic misunderstandings to find what truth and love might mean. To meet Shakespeare's demand that Illyria be a land where music is "the food of love," we present the fool musician Feste as the leader of a country blues band.
The production is a directorial collaboration between Dramatic Arts faculty Gyllian Raby and Danielle Wilson, assisted by Keavy Lynch. Raby states, "We are performing Twelfth Night using music rooted in contemporary culture, so although this production is not a musical, music is threaded throughout the play." Wilson adds, "The play has many of the elements common to Elizabethan romantic comedy, including the devices of mistaken identity, separated twins, and gender-crossing disguise, and its plot revolves around whether one can manage betrayal, and overcome the obstacles to truth and love."
Have a look at our media release (PDF).
Let us know you're coming by joining our Facebook Event.
High-School teachers should read this letter about the Matinee performance opportunities available for Twefth Night (November 2013) and Jehanne of the Witches (February 2014) (PDF)
A Study Guide is available for review,
prepared by Gyllian Raby and Keavy Lynch:
download to print a copy (PDF, 2.0 MB)
watch this preview on Cogeco TV:
see the article in the Brock News!
Announcing $5.00 Fridays!
all holders of Brock ID cards – students, staff and faculty – are invited to take advantage of a special new price for the Matinee mainstage performance. Please present your ID card upon purchase of your ticket.
Tickets for all performances including the $5.00 Friday Matinees are available through the Box Office of the Centre for the Arts
or 905.688.5550 x 3257
For more information, please contact Marie Balsom, Co-ordinator of the School of Fine and Performing Arts, at 905-688-5550, ext. 4765; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Underwater photography and video changes your life and your diving. Once you see how easy it is to capture your experience and share it with your friends and family, you want to do it again and again. This enhanced eBook will help you learn about underwater photography and video considerations. SeaLife Cameras are a great way to capture memories underwater whether you are a beginner diver or more advanced and want to start underwater imaging. Professional underwater photographer and filmmaker Annie Crawley created this guide for SeaLife Cameras to give you professional tips and tricks so you can take amazing underwater photographs and video with your system.
Through this enhanced eBook, you will learn easy to apply tips and tricks to help you create great images. Five quick review steps to make sure your SeaLife camera system is ready before every dive, plus neutral buoyancy tips to help you take great underwater photos & video with your SeaLife camera system.
Included are sections on macro and wide angle photography and video basics including color, composition, understanding the rule of thirds, leading diagonals, foreground and background considerations, plus lighting with strobes and video lights. You will learn how to capture sharks, turtles, dolphins, clownfish, plus so much more.
This is a great enhanced eBook if you would like to learn about underwater photography and video.


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Iranian Vice President vows to make enemies "repent" for "terrorist actions"
The Sunday Times reports (from behind a pay wall) that Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan was assassinated last week by the Israeli intelligence network Mossad as part of a "precursor to a military strike".
The Times claims that a reliable source, a Mossad insider, says he was part of a group that killed Roshan last week in Iran as he made his way to work at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
The source told the Times that the operation was planned months in advance and a Mossad team had been monitoring Roshan's activities and taking note of his schedule, so as to decide when and where to kill him.
"There is zero tolerance for mistakes. By nature, every failure not only risks the neck of the agents but also risks turning into an international scandal," said the Israeli source.
From Ha'aretz:
According to the Sunday Times, Roshan, 32, was monitored from a makeshift control room in a safe house nearby as he was preparing to leave for work. Israeli agents were also watching the entrance to Iranian intelligence headquarters in the city center, when they noticed a number of cars and people running, followed by police rushing into the nearby streets. Another agent monitoring radio traffic between the Tehran police and security forces confirmed unusual activity, said the paper.
The report states that as Roshan's bodyguard was driving him to Natanz uranium enrichment site, where he served as director, a masked person on a motorbike weaved through traffic, planting a bomb on the car shaped to deliver its full force at the passenger.
Both British and U.S. officials have denied any role in the assassination. "We were not involved in any way with regards to the assassination that took place there," said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, adding that he had "some idea" of who was.
Last week, another Mossad source indicated that the assassination also incorporated the CIA-backed terrorist group Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK).
The Iranian regime says it too has direct evidence that Mossad, as well as the CIA, was involved in the assassination.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said attack "has been carried out by the planning or support of CIA and Mossad (spy) services, like all other crimes of the network of international state terrorism".
The Iranian Fars News Agency reported today that Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi described the assassination as a "futile action" and that Iran would make those responsible regret their "terrorist actions".
"They want to stop the Islamic Republic through assassination but they will repent (their actions)," Rahimi said Tuesday. "The Islamic Republic has proper ways and mechanisms for giving them a response," Rahimi added.
Back in November, reports suggested that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu believed that Israeli plans to attack Iran's nuclear facilities were leaked by Mossad insiders who did not wish to see an attack take place.
The reports, out of Kuwait, suggested that the plans drawn up by Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the defence minister, had moved from the stage of discussion to implementation.
"Those who oppose the plan within the security establishment decided to leak it to the media and thwart the plan," the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida reported.
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.


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Welcome to "The G.A.R.D." – The Universal Diet It all began with my personal diagnosis of celiac disease (gluten intolerance) in April of 2000. The miraculous recovery that followed the elimination of gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) from my diet gained my full attention as a patient and as a doctor. In less than a month, long-term symptoms of allergies, heartburn, IBS, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and depression/chronic fatigue vanished. Because of the rapidity and completeness of my response, I plunged into medical research in an attempt to fully explain this remarkable phenomenon. I felt as if I had been given a completely different body and needed to know how one of the very staples of our diet, wheat, could have been doing so much harm throughout my life.
While the desire to shout this from the rooftops became almost overwhelming, I did want to be able to talk intelligently about this medical miracle, on any level with anyone. I began with a study of gluten intolerance and found a comprehensive resource in Celiac.com. The wealth of celiac-related information on the Internet was impressive, even in the year 2000, but was quite disturbing when I realized the commonness far-reaching effects of gluten intolerance. I got a good glimpse into what would later become a passion of mine: The vast gulf between what researchers know and what health care professionals in the field believe to be true.
However, I quickly found that gluten was not the only culprit. Through a series of interesting personal experiences, I discovered that dairy, soy and corn were also causing major problems in my health as well as that of millions of suffering people and their pets. While eliminating gluten, I began to consume more dairy products and found my symptoms to return with a vengeance. There was something wrong with "nature's perfect food" and its name was casein. Soy proved to be even worse as I scrambled to find a suitable dairy substitute and began to eat soy cheese, tofu ice cream, and drink soy milk. Within two weeks of doing this, my gut was in an absolute knot. My IBS had never been this bad in my entire life. Like so many, I thought soy was "the newest health food". Five minutes on the Internet and I was staring at the truth: Soy is one of the worst things that can be out into the human or animal body. I quickly labeled it "the third plague" behind gluten and casein.
It was months later when I found the last member of what I would later call "the big 4". Although it did not affect me nearly as negatively as the other three, corn simply made me feel crummy- a less-than-technical word but a description with which many can identify. After eating corn, I experienced an energy level drop and felt bloated, symptoms that had previously vanished with the elimination of gluten, dairy and soy. A little research into the history and nature of corn told me all that I needed to know: Corn was a major allergen and fully capable of damaging the intestinal lining in the same manner that gluten harms the bowel of the celiac.
As I learned of and personally experienced the health benefits of eliminating these foods, I began employing the diet in my veterinary practice. Skin allergies, ear infections, and chronic gastrointestinal problems suddenly became a thing of the past. By the end of the first year of using these hypoallergenic diets, I became genuinely concerned that I was about to cure myself right our of practice. If it were not for human nature (the tendency to cheat on a diet) and referrals from satisfied clients, that notion may have become a reality. The new diet worked that well!
I began writing extensively about the wide-spread effects of "the big 4" and placing these papers on my first Website, a quickly thrown together homemade base from which to share my work with friends, family and veterinary clients. DogtorJ.com was born. A central theme was the attention-grabbing fact that all four of these foods were the only ones used to make industrial adhesives, supporting the concept that these dietary proteins (glycoproteins) stick to the lining of the intestinal tract and do direct harm to the delicate villi lining the gut in sensitized individuals. Pointing out that Borden makes Elmer's Glue was usually a high point in the exam room lectures that I gave multiple times each and every day.
But the damage to the lining of the small intestine and its ability to absorb vital nutrients was only the beginning of the harm being done by these four foods. Once in the bloodstream, the antibody-sized components of "the "big 4" (called lectins) could trigger inflammation in any tissue with which they came in contact, including neurons, joints, liver and kidney cells, and blood cells themselves. There appeared to be no limit to their marauding ways. I would eventually label them as "the four horsemen of our medical apocalypse" once the breadth and depth of their negative potential was fully realized.
The G.A.R.D. is Born
From ten years of medical and nutritional research came The G.A.R.D.- an elimination diet for the treatment of most conditions afflicting man and his four-legged companions. The original meaning of the acronym was the glutamate & aspartate restricted diet, derived from the fact that The G.A.R.D. placed a premium on the elimination of two non-essential amino acids, glutamic and aspartic acid. These are parent proteins in MSG and aspartame (NutraSweet), respectively- compounds that are now termed "excitotoxins", being known triggers of seizures and other neurological disorders. These two neurostimulating amino acids clearly play a major role in the development and perpetuation of epilepsy, migraines, insomnia, ADHD, autism, fibromyalgia and numerous neurodegenerative diseases.
One of the first and most fascinating findings in my investigation of gluten-related disorders was the response of celiac children who were suffering from epilepsy. The gluten-free diet had been shown to greatly improve if not completely eliminate seizure activity in these kids. That grabbed my attention, knowing that epilepsy was considered "idiopathic" in both veterinary and human medicine. Without knowing the details, I began placing my epileptic dogs on wheat-free diets and witnessed one dramatic recovery after another. The cases in which an incomplete recovery occurred forced me to dig deeper. Before long, the "syndrome" of epilepsy unfolded before me- the intestinal harm, malnutrition, neuronal damage by lectins, and bombardment of those diseased neurons and glial cells by the "excitotoxins" supplied by the same foods.
As a veterinarian, it was not hard to see that the food sources- grains, dairy, soy/legumes, and nuts/seeds- were playing the same role in the manifestation of epilepsy as the "crack cocaine" versions of these excitotoxins, MSG and aspartame, since most pets were not consuming these common food additives in their commercial diets. One of the most fascinating aspects of epilepsy, which supported this idea, was the observed time interval between mealtime and seizures. Whereas it was reported that MSG caused problems in epileptics and migraine sufferers within an hour of ingestion, it took 4-6 hours for wheat, dairy, and soy-based foods to trigger the seizure. This became a consistent finding in unmedicated individuals but was frequently obscured in those on anticonvulsants, perhaps helping to explain why the medical profession had not yet made this observation. This interval is also experienced by countless "insomniacs" who find themselves waking up like a shot at 1-2 AM, 4-6 hours after having dinner and dessert, which are usually rich in gluten, dairy and sugar.
The results of The G.A.R.D. in canine epilepsy have been nothing short of astounding. I have now lost count of the number of dogs that have completely stopped seizing on the diet. As anticipated, I have been contacted by a rapidly growing number of people who are utilizing this elimination diet for their own epilepsy, insomnia, fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, and neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. MS) as well as in their ADHD and autistic children. Truly, the G.A.R.D. has a universally positive effect in these and numerous other non-neurological conditions.
To fully understand these universal applications, all that is needed is a grasp of the cascade of events that follows the intestinal damage done by the "big 4". This is outlined in my paper, The G.A.R.D. Made Simple. Once the small intestine's villi (those tiny, finger-like projections that perform the absorption) are damaged, the ability of that individual to absorb essential nutrients can be greatly compromised. The small intestine absorbs everything our body needs to operate properly- vitamins (e.g. C, D, E, B complex), minerals (e.g. calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc), proteins, fats, carbohydrates and water. How hard it is to imagine the far-reaching consequences of their deficiency? Remember: All of the "big 4" are fully capable of compromising the absorption normally performed by the small intestine .
However, the employment of the The G.A.R.D. can and does reverse this damage, giving rise to the second meaning for this acronym- the "gut absorption recovery diet". By removing the "big 4″ foods- gluten (from wheat, barley, and rye), dairy, soy and corn- we can restore the integrity of the intestinal tract (and quickly), regaining the nutrients that are so vital to every bodily function. The elimination of these destructive dietary proteins also halts the damage being done at the cellular level, which we know now to be immense. Celiac disease has been directly tied to innumerable medical conditions and this is no longer a mystery.
The G.A.R.D. also has the added benefit of restricting dietary estrogens, the most abundant of which come from dairy and soy. Bioactive dietary estrogens (isoflavones) have both an inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect as well as being neurostimulating (e.g. PMS). These estrogenic compounds worsen most inflammatory and neurological conditions, including epilepsy.
By now, the reader should have a good idea why I am so excited about the prospects for The G.A.R.D. It is truly a universal diet, both in its medical applications and in the species it can help, two and four-legged. I have come to see that the "big 4" are not beneficial to anyone or anything consuming them. They are simply tolerated better by some individuals that others. There is nothing that we gain in the way of nutrients from these four foods that we cannot derive from multiple non-offending dietary sources. Who can argue against a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, berries, lean meats, eggs, and gluten-free grains (e.g. rice, millet, flax, sorghum)? And yet, approximately 80% of the calories in the standard American diet (that's S.A.D.) come from the "big 4" foods as do the vast majority of ingredients found in our pet's commercial diets. This must change.
Here is the good news: There are a multitude of medical conditions in which the G.A.R.D. should be utilized (e.g. chronic gastrointestinal disorders, pain syndromes, epilepsy, ADHD, autism, insomnia, and neurodegenerative disorders) and, in each of them, the diet is not only a quick and effective Band Aid for the symptoms being experienced but it is also the major component of the long-term solution for these conditions. If there is still any doubt of this, the following papers in this G.A.R.D. section should help.
Dogtor J
The G.A.R.D.
What is "The GARD"? – This is a summary of the rationale behind and applications for the glutamate/aspartate restricted diet, also known as the gut absorption recovery diet. It took ten years of medical and nutritional research to develop and refine this amazing elimination diet. If it does not make sense by the time you finish reading this section, then I certainly haven't done my job…yet.
The Glutamate/Aspartate Restricted Diet – This section will be a series of posts that I have placed on applicable sections of a large medical forum known as BrainTalk Communities. This site is an expansive set of forums that cover medical conditions ranging from Alzheimer's to Visual Impairments. I have personally contributed to threads on many of these forums, including those dealing with ADHD, ALS, Celiac Disease, Epilepsy, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Child Neurology. The main reason for my involvement in these forums can be found in the content of the following posts. I hope that you get something very special from this section. It is my personal favorite.
The GARD Made Simple – I wrote this on June 9, 2005 at the request of a doctor who was interested in this elimination diet for his epileptic patients. Again, this site was originally intended to be used by my clients- lay people searching for answers to medical issues that they did not understand. But I do realize that the length of these papers drives medically-inclined crazy. To be honest, it would me if I was looking for immediate answers for a problem case. BUT, I still contend that the fast-food approach to our problems is totally inadequate, and at some point, we MUST see the big picture again. So, I walk a fine line in my attempt to educate my clients while enlightening my colleagues, often resulting in overly lengthy papers. I guess I'd rather over-explain than under-explain. I hope this summary-style paper helps.
Pain, Pain Go Away – This paper chronicles my triumph over fibromyalgia and joint pain through my own personal employment of The G.A.R.D. Once you see what was eliminated and why, you should have a much better understanding of what could be driving your pain through lowering your normal threshold. Some of these you are familiar with, others may surprise you.
Food Intolerance, Epilepsy and The G.A.R.D. – This is the transcript for my lecture at the 2007 NAVC (North American Veterinary Conference) in Orlando. It was the second hour that followed a talk on food intolerance in general. This speech on epilepsy briefly covers most aspects of the "syndrome" we call epilepsy and introduces the role of viruses in the development and perpetuation of idiopathic epilepsy.
Food to Avoid, Foods to Enjoy – In this section, I will try to make it clear which foods should be avoided when coping with the "excitotoxin"-related disorders such as epilepsy, insomnia, ADHD, chronic pain (e.g. fibromyalgia), and neurodegenerative diseases such as A.L.S., M.S., Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and more. Autistic patients should benefit from these dietary guidelines as well, especially the avoidance of the gluten grains, soy, and dairy products. Please check out the autism, A.D.H.D., and food addiction parts of theAppetizers section.You can also read my paper "What in the World Do I Eat?" for more ideas and explanations.
More GARD Articles…
These are little tidbits of knowledge I've discovered or insights I've gained over the years while doing my in-depth studies.For example, did you know researchers have found that nearly 40% of the genetic information in our DNA is viral information? This explains what we call "genetic diseases" including familial and breed tendencies toward food intolerance (e.g. celiac disease), neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy), and numerous cancers.
Read more…
Welcome to the blog of the new DogtorJ.com. New research into the origin of our medical woes has revealed something startling: As it turns out, we are our own worst enemy. Yes, the Pogo quote of yesteryear found in the title of this article is quite accurate when applied to our medical lives. We love to discuss those things that we call "causes" of diseases even though we often have little clue as to how these things really cause illness. Even medical professionals can have difficulty grasping the true cause-and-effect. But that is understandable once some insight is gained into the true nature of medical training.
In this section, I will be placing links to the latest breaking news in the food world, including updates on the use of elimination diets to control disease, articles on pet food, the truth about GMO foods and more. I will do my best to balance the bad with the good, but try to remember: Much of this will seem like bad news but at least we know about it now…and can change it!
With some of these stories, I will include a link to a blog entry so that you can comment on the article. This idea came to me after reading the first entry, which is a news flash that made my blood boil.
Shoot me an Email by clicking on the icon at the top of each page. Video testimonials are also welcome.
Read More…
What is the "Leaky Gut"? The "leaky gut syndrome" is the root of many medical evils once the "big 4" induce it. Read how Italians have survived being a pasta-based society.
Hip Dysplasia – "Genetics" vs. Diet
As misconceptions go, this is a high-priority item. Hip dysplasia is not what we were taught.
Epilepsy and Diet
I have been studying "idiopathic epilepsy" extensively since April of 2000. Guess what? It's not idiopathic anymore. A diet change can cure it!
The Truth About Pet Food
Dogs and cats are carnivores yet most pet foods are grain-based. Knowing how to read a label is also very important. Does your pet food really have vegetables in it? Really???
I have been successfully treating pets with epilepsy using diet changes alone for nearly 10 years. The results have been astounding. This paper helps to summarize my findings and recommendations.
This is the first blog placed on BlogtorJ.com (6-24-07) and pretty much covers the gamut of topics – from heartburn to cancer – that are discussed on this Website. The bottom line? Viruses and bacteria are not the enemy. We are! The good news: We do have our health destinies in our own hands.
This paper is an article I wrote for the newsletter of www.celiac.com when asked about the prevalence of celiac disease (gluten intolerance) in the dog and cat. This condition has been definitively diagnosed in the Irish Setter but not many other breeds of dogs. I will not be at all surprised when we find that it does exist in numerous other breeds… and even the lovable mutt…but as this article explains, that may very well be a moot point. Gluten is only the beginning.
This 40-plus page paper is my first major paper, written in 2001 and hurriedly placed on this site on that fateful and tragic day of 9-11. It represents the culmination of nearly two years of research on the subject of food-related disorders and contains an amazing amount of facts that have been hidden from public view concerning this subject. It covers how the "big 4" trouble foods- gluten, dairy, soy and corn- came into being, catapulted into common usage, and became directly involved in most of our serious medical conditions, including epilepsy, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, ADHD, pain syndromes, depression, and allergies. Severe immune-mediated diseases such as diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis are also covered.
Yes, it is quite long, but it appeared on my computer screen and was placed onto the Web just as it came out of my head. And it is wordy in places. But, as I tell my clients, "There is no law that you have to read it all in one sitting. Think of it as a free, short book rather than a long research paper. It's all how you look at it, right?"
The one thing I can say is that this information WILL change your life…guaranteed!!!


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Chinese (CHIN)
CHIN 10100 Elementary Chinese I (LA)
Introductory course designed to develop spoken and written skills in Mandarin Chinese. Students will be introduced to pinyin (sounds tones), vocabulary, characters (simplified version), and grammatical constructions. Participation, self-expression, and cultural awareness will be emphasized. Open to students with no previous Chinese, or by placement examination. (F,Y)
Attributes: 3A, G, HM, HU, TIDE
4 Credits
CHIN 10200 Elementary Chinese II (LA)
Continuation of CHIN 10100. Limited to students who have successfully completed CHIN 10100 with a grade of C-or better, or by permission of instructor. Prerequisite: CHIN 10100, or equivalent, with a grade of C- or better. (S,Y)
Attributes: 3A, G, HM, HU, TIDE
4 Credits
CHIN 20100 Intermediate Chinese I (LA)
This course will further develop speaking, listening, reading and writing proficiency. Special emphasis will be given to conversational and writing skills. Chinese culture, history and society will be discussed through selected readings. Prerequisite: CHIN 10200, or equivalent, with a grade of C- or better, or with instructor permission. (F,Y)
Attributes: HU
3 Credits
CHIN 20200 Intermediate Chinese II (LA)
Continuation of CHIN 20100. Emphasis will be given to oral and written proficiency. Prerequisite: CHIN 20100 with a grade of C- or better, or with instructor permission. (S,Y)
Attributes: HU
3 Credits


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Columbia Cathedral Peak
The Cathedral Peak has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best hiking staffs for 2024.
Excellent telescoping walking stick with a few essential outdoor accessories.
- Lightweight
- Saw, knife and compass features
- Telescoping (fits in a car or backseat of a truck)
- Price
- Noisy
- Compass holder tends to break... needs to be re-glued
- Not a great deal of strength on threads (where knife/saw come out)
- After a while, locking threads to telescope slip.
Saw the reviews... Good news, these are back! Check out Bud K website, they sell knives (new version is not Columbia, but United Cutlery,) Likely same base manufacturer and I'm happy to say less than $20, I'll take the risk on a pre-review being I can speak to my previous Old faithful'.
Originally got one from Sierra. I've been looking since my lil one decided to use for something other than its intended design (picked up something heavy/sword fighting) and the threads broke at base of where the handle attaches to the staff :-((
With that, had the original for over 10 years and probably put at least 1,000+K on it, not including quick walks and a few camping/scout events. Also handy for cutting medium sized dead fall for campfires or making other 'natural' walking staffs for friends or our scouts.
To note, this is not one of the 'trendy' anti-shock ski-pole designs that some spend 100s of $ on, particularly here in Europe. Personally, I think those are kind of silly, maybe more 'cliche', but certainly overpriced. For those who require support on both arms, it would be just as good to get a few of these or old ski-poles at a rummage sale :-) I guess time will tell on that opinion, then again... I'm more utilitarian and kinda cheap (my wife will attest to that).
Accessories (again) are excellent idea and design, but you get what you pay for. I could not have seen spending the original MSRP in first place. My original, the compass did get loose off the bracket piece around it (glue gave out or whatever, but had lots of banging around in back of truck). DIY fix, no problem.
The Saw and Knife set... though was good for me, my suspicion is that if one were not careful, could break. Cut about 100 limbs/branches, no problem! I never really used the knife, but thought it might be good item if you had to dress a deer and had nothing else.
So, minus bringing a camp axe and full up folding saw set like Gerber has (also a good item), for the the trails and camping events... really good item to have one or two of!
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: ~$15 (marked down from about $80)
I bought this staff from Smoky Mountain Knife Works at least 5 years ago and have been looking for more like it, since. It weighs a bit more than trekking poles, but only the minimalist ultralight backpacker may care.
This is not really a trekking pole, as it is a staff that houses a very sharp knife and includes an interchangeable saw blade and contains a nice compass in the cap of a hollow handle that can hold a lighter/matches, fire starting materials, water purification tablets, and/or other small survival items.
When I originally had received this item at work, my co-workers laughed and bet me the saw wouldn't cut through a 2x4. They stopped laughing when one of them cut through a 2x4 in less than 20 seconds and the saw showed no sign of stress.. This staff is very heavy-duty and will help even the heaviest of hikers and will hold an ultralight tarp in the most extreme conditions.
I'm very happy to have found this staff as a different brand (it must have been private label/oem made for Columbia) on a different website. It can now be found on the budk website and is branded as United Cutlery, for a very discounted well-worth-it price.
Price Paid: $29.95
I am a big guy that goes hiking 3-4 times per year and out of all of the walking sticks/staffs I have tried this by far knocks the snot out of all of em. Best in durability and strength. This product didn't flinch when I really had to apply my weight to pull myself up and leverage me against a fall. I highly recommend this as a very quality hiking tool.
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Welcome to Quail Manufacturing
Makers of the original Manual "Kick-Type" Sod Cutter since 1953
Our sod cutters are enjoyed by anyone who desires an environmentally friendly way to remove sod "roots and all". Landscapers, Parks & Recreation Supervisors, Cemetery Administration, Baseball & Softball Field Maintenance, Rental Centers and Cement Contractors just to name a few of of clients. Our cutters are also very popular with the "Do it Yourselfer"; a few common uses include cutting in a new garden area or trenching for Fido's new invisible fence. They are lightweight, easy to use and need no gas or oil to operate. All that's required to operate the cutter is a simple kicking motion on the green cross bar while using the handles to push and direct the cutter's path. The total weight of our cutter is only 26 lbs, which makes it easy for anyone to operate.
At Quail we believe that the "hands on" approach is the best way to ensure quality. Our cutters are 100% hand made in the U.S.A. with no foreign labor; this is something that's almost unheard of in today's market place, by the time one of our cutters is sent out it has been inspected many times over. We are so sure of the quality in our products that we back them up with a 10 year frame guarantee! In fact, many of the cutters built in the 1950's are still in service today.
Questions/Comments? Drop us an email on our "Contact Us" page


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Allison Miller
Allison Miller grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. Her family eventually settled in Tallahassee, Florida, where she studied dance, piano, acting and singing while still at high school before briefly attending the University of Florida at Gainesville. She dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to start a career in acting. She has appeared in "General Hospital" and followed that with several more TV and movie appearances before landing a role in the critically acclaimed "Kings." She can also be seen on the upcoming series "Go On."
Guest Appearances
August 24, 2012
We're keeping it positive this week with newlywed Allison Miller! Allison talks about recent strange sorority happenings, how she took playing piano seriously as a child, and Toddlers & Tiaras. We also get into what the perfect date would be with Oprah! Enjoy!